Afghanistan

To mark the 10th anniversary of the war in Afghanistan, Renegade Activists prepared a leaflet setting out some of the uses to which $21.3 billion could have been put, this being the sum of increased military spending over the last ten years compared with 2001 levels. A lolly was attached to each “as a taste of what you could have been enjoying”: it was calculated that $21.3 billion would provide “19 712 lollies for every man, woman and child in Australia”.

By Hamish Chitts

As the corporate media and pro-war politicians launch an intensified propaganda campaign around the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks to sell the war in Afghanistan it is important to examine the US response to these terrible events and the impact this has had on working class people in Australia and around the world.

"Rot in hell" screams the front page of the New York Post. “The Butcher of 9/11 is dead”, “We got him”, “US nails the bastard” as the United States of America basks in bloodthirsty revelry, tabloid antics went into over-drive. Spontaneous celebration filled Times Square, crowds gathered in front of the White House euphorically cheering “USA, USA, USA”. Mass hysteria broke out on the social networking scene with Twitter reporting 4000 tweets per second as news of Osama Bin Laden’s murder broke out.

An Australian woman recently returned from Afghanistan says foreign militaries have been a hindrance to peace and stability and is leading to increased civilian casualties.

"It is clear that the Australian Government has spent billions of dollars propping up a corrupt and violent regime that is harassing their own population who are working for peace and democracy" Jessica Morrison said.

"People scoff at the Parliament, saying that the best thing about it is that it puts all the most dangerous people in the one place and keeps them occupied." she continued.